Can machines think?

1.Is the Turing Test a sufficient test? That is, if a machine passes the test, would you agree it is intelligent?

To answer this question, we have to define “intelligence” first. There could be many different ways to describe this concept. According to Pinker (1999, p.62), intelligence “is the ability to attain goals in the face of obstacles by means of decisions based on rational rules”. If the explanation stops here, I would say a machine is intelligent if it passes the Turing Test. However, “consciousness” is further described as “a lofty synonym for intelligence” (p.134). We do not only think by rational rules, but also have a sense of self. When a machine passes the Turing Test, it does not “know” what it is doing or have sentient awareness.

2. Is the Turing Test a necessary test? That is, does a machine have to pass this test in order to be intelligent?

According to the above argument, it does not matter if a machine has to pass this test in order to be intelligent. Because the Turing Test itself can only test the ability to make decisions based on rational rules, but we cannot tell its consciousness and sentience through this test.

3. Will a machine ever pass the Turing Test? Why or why not?

As I know, there is no artificial intelligence ( AI ) can win the Loebner Prize (the first formal instantiation of a Turing Test.) so far. Is it possible that a machine’s response can be indistinguishable from a human's in the future? I tend to have a skeptical answer to this question. Since the judge is a human being, he/she does not only make judgment by rules, but consider all aspects of human being—emotion, desire, feelings, etc. People may be able to distinguish a machine from a human being. However, people are also easily deluded. Thus, it is not totally impossible that a machine can pass the Turing Test.

4. Will a machine ever be intelligent? Why or why not? (This may or may not be the same answer to the previous question).

Unless the human being’s consciousness, sentience, emotion, and so on can be programmed into a machine, I do not think a machine can ever be intelligent. I think there are too many components to be considered as intelligence, especially human intelligence. Even though a machine can store a lot of information, can assess data fast, or even win a chess match (Can machines think?), can it know what it is doing and why it is doing it?

My theory of mind

I think human beings’ minds are one of the most complicated mechanisms in the world. From my immature understanding, I believe that different areas of our brains manage different functions, and they connect to each other to function as a whole. It could be a process that multiple parts are working simultaneously. The following picture illustrates my preliminary thought about our mind and learning.

First, perception from our sense organs filters and interprets the encountered experience, and it decides how much information will go into intelligence process. In the stage of intelligence, different abilities are functioning to understand and acquire the new knowledge, such as comprehending a text or memorizing vocabularies. Next, change will show on behaviors, such as performance or solving a problem. All the functions may not only work one-way or independently, but may affect each other mutually: change in behavior may shape intelligence and change in intelligence may also mold perception. The process is functioning as an interacting system rather than merely combining steps. Furthermore, motivation may act as an emotional motor to drive each step through the whole process. Without motivation, learners are like functional cars without fuel.

Most importantly, each component is linked to each other.

Take looking at the sky for example. My eyes (the sense organ) receive the light and reflect the image on the retina (I am not 100% sure about the biological part), and the image/message is transformed through the optic nerve to the area of brain that receives and interprets image. “The sky” only makes meaning (such as its name is sky, etc.) when I already have this information in my “database”. It could come from some one else told me it is called sky or I may build up more experiences about the sky when I have seen it in different conditions. All the information may store in different parts of my brain. My personal perception may affect how the information is coded and stored. Next time, when I encounter the concept of “sky”, related information may be retrieved and help me understand the new situation.

Furthermore, this process could be more complicated, if the task requires more mental activities. For example, reading this assignment and deicide what to response accordingly. First, I have to be able to “read”—able to see the words, understand the meaning, and interpret it. The interpretation could be based on my reading comprehension, my prior knowledge, and experience. I may retrieve the “schema” (the construction of concepts) that helps me understand the assignment. After understanding, I would reason my answers and put them in a logical way that makes sense to me. This process is also defiantly affected by my prior knowledge. For example, I have taken several courses about education and psychology, and the theories I have learned in the class would direct what I think. During the constructing response process, I choose what words to use and express my thought, and the brain commands my fingers to type (behavior). However, I think the process is not linear. When I saw what I wrote, it goes into my perception and comprehension. I would interpret and evaluate it, and change my writing and even thought accordingly.

Besides, I do not think our mind works like a computer. Emotion, motivation, and feelings could also be parts of every information process. They could be very different from person to person and play different roles in our mind processing and decision making.

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Welcome to my EDPS 591U-Computers and Cognition blog!